Device for preventing twisting of a strap of a safety seat and method for using same

ABSTRACT

A method for preventing twisting of a strap of a car seat, the method comprising receiving the strap through a body portion of a device, wherein the body portion includes opposite open ends, and wherein the strap extends through the body portion and protrudes from each of the ends, and positioning the device below at least one of a chest clip and a bottom clip coupled to the strap.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.13/644,810, filed on Oct. 4, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/543,124, filed on Oct. 4,2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/622,352, filedon Apr. 10, 2012, the contents of which are each herein incorporated byreference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a device that is applied to a harnessstrap of safety seat, such as a child safety seat for use in anautomobile, to keep the strap in a proper orientation and to prevent thestrap from twisting, and a method for using same.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

It is often the case that safety seat harness straps, such as, forexample, the straps of a five-point harness for securing a child in acar safety seat, become twisted. This twisting prevents the straps fromproperly passing through their intended orifices, and/or from beingelongated or shortened to appropriately buckle a child into the seat. Asa result, the user of the car seat may be prevented from properlyadjusting the straps, making it difficult to safely secure a child intothe seat and fasten the straps using their corresponding clips orbuckles.

Accordingly, there is a need for a device that prevents unwantedtwisting of the safety seat straps, and a method for using same.

SUMMARY

A device for preventing twisting of a strap, according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, comprises a body portion open atopposite ends to receive the strap through the body portion, wherein thebody portion includes: an adjustable portion that is capable of beingexpanded and retracted to vary a length of the body portion; and a slitextending along a side of the body portion between the ends, wherein asize of the slit is capable of being varied to receive the strap throughthe slit and into the body portion.

A width of the device may become narrower in directions toward the ends.The device may have a narrower width at the ends than at a centralportion of the body.

A method for preventing twisting of a strap of a car seat, according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprises receivingthe strap through a body portion of a device, wherein the body portionincludes opposite open ends, and wherein the strap extends through thebody portion and protrudes from each of the ends, and positioning thedevice below at least one of a chest clip and a bottom clip coupled tothe strap.

The device may be positioned along a thigh of a person sitting in thecar seat.

The method may further comprise varying a length of the body portion byat least one of expanding and retracting an adjustable portion of thebody portion.

The method may further comprise inserting the strap into the bodyportion through a slit extending along a side of the body portionbetween the ends, and pulling the body apart to open the slit to receivethe strap through the slit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described belowin more detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 shows a front side view of a device for preventing twisting of astrap in a retracted state, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a front side view of a device for preventing twisting of astrap in an expanded state, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a device for preventing twisting ofa strap, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B shows a front side view of a device for preventing twisting of astrap on a strap, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a standard car seat to show where the device of FIGS.1-3 is positioned on a strap of a safety seat, according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a device for preventing twisting of a strap, according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a back side view of a device for preventing twisting of astrap, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a back side view of a device for preventing twisting of astrap, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention now will be describedmore fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Thisinvention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A-3B, the device comprises a body portion10, which is open at both ends 12 and 14 to receive a standard car seatstrap 20. According to an embodiment, a width W of the opening at theends 12 and 14 is slightly larger than a width of the strap 20.Alternatively, the width W of the opening is the same as or slightlysmaller than a width of the strap to ensure a tight fit so that thedevice does not slip down the strap 20. According to an embodiment, thewidth of the device becomes narrower in the directions toward the ends12, 14 so that the device has a narrower width at the ends than at acentral portion of the body 10. The narrower width at the ends 12, 14also prevents slipping of the device on a strap 20.

The device includes an adjustable portion 16, which can be expanded bypulling in opposite directions on the ends 12, 14 of the device, andretracted by pushing in opposite directions on the ends 12, 14.According to an embodiment, an end-to-end length L1 of the device in theretracted state shown in FIG. 1 is about 5 inches to about 6 inches, andan end-to-end length L2 is about 7 inches to about 8 inches in theexpanded state shown in FIG. 2, but is not limited thereto. According toan embodiment, the device is manufactured as an integral body portion 10including the ends 12, 14 and the adjustable portion 16 positionedbetween the ends 12 and 14, and is made of a flexible material, such as,for example, silicone, rubber, or flexible plastic. The flexibility ofthe device should be sufficient to allow the device to be expanded andretracted upon application of a force, but limited so that the deviceremains taught once a desired length is obtained.

Referring to FIGS. 3B and 4, according to an embodiment, the devicereceives a car seat strap 20 through the ends 12 and 14 of the device sothat the strap 20 extends through the body of the device and protrudesfrom both of the ends 12 and 14. The device is positioned to sit below achest clip 30 as indicated by arrow A, or under a bottom clip 40 along achild's thigh as indicated by arrow B. According to differentembodiments, one or more twist preventing devices may be used. Forexample, one device may be used on one strap in location A or B, twodevices may be used on left and right straps in location A or B, fourdevices may be used on left and right straps in locations A and B, andany other possible combinations to prevent twisting of the straps 20.The size of the device can be varied by the stretching or compressingthe adjustable portion 16 to accommodate the different locations andchildren of different sizes.

Referring to FIG. 5, according to another embodiment, the deviceincludes a body portion 50 and ends 52 and 54, but does not include anadjustable portion between the ends 52 and 54. The device is similar toembodiment described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A-3B, with theexception that a length of the device in FIG. 5 is not adjustable.

Referring to FIG. 6, a back side of the device of FIGS. 1-3 is shown,according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6,the device includes a slit 18 extending across a back side of the body10 between ends 12 and 14. The slit 18 allows the body to be pulledapart so that the device can be installed on a car seat strap withouthaving to undo the car seat strap from the car seat. Therefore, a usercan install the device by inserting the strap 20 through the slit 18without removing the car seat strap from its corresponding orifices inthe seat and without rethreading the strap through those orifices.

Similarly, in FIG. 7, a back side of the device of FIG. 5 is shown,according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7,the device includes a slit 58 extending across a back side of the body50 between ends 52 and 54. The slit 58 allows the body to be pulledapart so that the device can be installed on a car seat strap withouthaving to undo the car seat strap from the car seat. Therefore, a usercan install the device by inserting the strap 20 through the slit 58without removing the car seat strap from its corresponding orifices inthe seat and without rethreading the strap through those orifices.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed hereinabove, it should be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to these embodiments, but may be modified bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for preventing twisting of a singlestrap of a vehicle safety seat, comprising: a body portion open atopposite ends to receive the single strap through the body portion sothat the single strap can extend through the body portion and protrudefrom each of the ends, wherein the body portion includes: an adjustableportion that is capable of being expanded and retracted to vary a lengthof the body portion; and a slit extending along a side of the bodyportion between the ends and through the adjustable portion, wherein asize of the slit is capable of being varied to receive the single strapthrough the slit and into the body portion without removing the singlestrap from the vehicle safety seat.
 2. The device according to claim 1,wherein a width of the device becomes narrower in directions toward theends.
 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has anarrower width at the ends than at a central portion of the bodyportion.
 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the body portion iscylindrical.
 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the singlestrap is a standard vehicle safety seat strap.
 6. The device accordingto claim 1, wherein a width of each of the ends is the same as a widthof the single strap.
 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a widthof each of the ends is less than a width of the single strap.
 8. Thedevice according to claim 1, wherein the device remains taught after adesired length is obtained.